Pumps which are used to fill objects to a high pressure typically incorporate reciprocating air compressors. These types of compressors tend to be large and heavy in size and require an external power supply. This in turn makes such pumps difficult to transport and less useful if an external power supply is not readily available.
While some pumps may obtain external power via an AC or DC power source (for example from a wall socket or car battery), these compressors are still quite bulky and weigh upwards of 1.5 kilograms and are therefore not particularly portable.
The above problems are exasperated for cyclists who require portability, who may or may not have access to a power supply and who are also concerned about the weight of a pump. While some cyclists use carbon dioxide canisters (known as CO2 inflators), these canisters have a number of disadvantages and that they are intended for one use only. Another problem is that they become very cold during use and may expose a user to potential burns. On the other hand, traditional manual hand pumps are light weight but are slow to use in that it takes a large amount of time to inflate a tyre. It is also difficult to achieve pressures of above 80 psi using the manual hand pumps that are designed to be mounted to the bicycle frame.
While some portable, battery powered air pumps do exist, they tend to be sized relatively large, of substantial weight, and designed to be standalone. There is an inherent difficulty in providing a pump mechanism which is small, battery powered, hand-held and able to provide sufficient pressure to fill an object, whilst at the same time dissipating the heat generated during the air compression process. Portable pumps currently available have large surface areas and often utilise bulky heat sinks to dissipate the heat. The heat must be dissipated during the compression process otherwise the compressor's efficiency will be reduced, as well as causing detrimental effects to the seals located inside the compressor. This heat dissipation process however makes it very difficult to design a hand-held pump due to the heat transferred from the pump to the hand of the user during use.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a pump which ameliorates or at least alleviates the above problems or provides alternatives.
Before turning to a summary of the present invention, it will be appreciated that the discussion of the background to the invention is included to explain the context of the invention. This is not to be taken as an addition that any of the material referred to is published, known or part of the common general knowledge.